The South Korean musician, famous in the States for "Gangnam Style," was joined by Diana Ross, "Smash's" Megan Hilty, "The Voice's" Chris Mann, Demi Lovato and "American Idol" winner Scotty McCreery at the event, which was taped by TNT at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

"Christmas in Washington" is a regular holiday concert that benefits the Children's National Medical Center, and is attended by the President and the First Lady.

The song in question, called "Dear America," was written by a South Korean group called N.E.X.T., and Psy can be heard rapping about killing American troops serving in Iraq, as well as their families, during the eight-years-old performance.

In a statement on Friday, Psy said that the song "was part of a deeply emotional reaction to the war in Iraq and the killing of two Korean schoolgirls that was part of the overall antiwar sentiment shared by others around the world at that time."

He went on to say that "as a proud South Korean who was educated in the United States and lived there for a very significant part of my life, I understand the sacrifices American servicemen and women have made to protect freedom and democracy in my country and around the world. ... While I’m grateful for the freedom to express one's self, I’ve learned there are limits to what language is appropriate and I’m deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted. I will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused by those words. I have been honored to perform in front of American soldiers in recent months – including an appearance on the Jay Leno show specifically for them- and I hope they and all Americans can accept my apology."

soundoff(117 Responses)

Trevor

When I heard what Psy had said, I was appalled and disgusted. But after reading his heartfelt apology and comments to the Washington Post, I think we should forgive him. Many of us make mistakes when we're young, and I believe Psy when he says he has changed in the 8 years since he made those remarks, having served in the military, gotten married, and had kids of his own. The way he has conducted himself on the national stage since achieving worldwide stardom has been admirable and shows him to be a much more mature person than most of the big performers today, let alone his younger self who said those awful things.

In response to some ignorant posters here just hearing about the Yangju incident for the first time, you don't know what you're talking about so just stop talking. The people in the vehicle were only acquitted because it was blatantly obvious that it was an accident and that they hadn't done anything reckless. The trials were held in an open and transparent way with the families of the victims present. The people involved were extremely remorseful and the families of the girls who died received a lot of compensation, and everyone involved apologized profusely including even President Bush. Since then a myriad of preventative new policies have been adopted to ensure that there's no risk of any such accident ever happening again.

It seems that Psy, in his apology, is blurring two different events years apart in the hopes of sounding less awful to the US and the media. His lyrics about killing the women and children of American soldiers came 2 years later than the tank incident, and was actually unrelated to the girls being run over (but it sounds a lot more tear-jerking by attaching the killed girls to his protest singing). Psy purposefully blurs the two events to his advantage.

Quote:
In 2002, PSY participated in an anti-American concert after a U.S. military convoy struck and killed two 14-year-old South Korean schoolgirls during the Yangju highway incident. The soldiers involved in the incident were acquitted by U.S. military courts,[78] which fueled a significant amount of anti-American sentiment in South Korea. During his performance, PSY lifted up a model of an M2 Bradley IFV and smashed it against the stage.[79][80]

In 2004, the South Korean translator and Christian missionary Kim Sun-il was kidnapped and beheaded in Iraq after the South Korean government refused to reconsider sending its armed forces to support the Iraq War. Although initial protests were only directed towards the South Korean government and towards extremists in Iraq, anti-U.S. military protesters decided to seize the moment to trigger a much larger wave of anti-Americanism. During a concert, PSY admonished the Iraqi kidnappers, condemned South Korea's former president Roh Mu-hyun, and also sang along to lyrics of the song "Dear American" by South Korean rock band N.EX.T, who composed it to condemn the United States and its military for its role in the Iraq war.[81] Some of the anti-American lyrics sung by PSY included the following verses: "Kill those ****ing Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives and those who ordered them to torture," and "Kill [the Yankees'] daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law and fathers / Kill them all slowly and painfully."[82][83] Although PSY's actions did not receive any significant international media coverage at that time, this changed after the media reported about it in early December 2012. On December 7, 2012, PSY issued an apology directed towards members of the U.S. military and to the American people for his "inflammatory and inappropriate" language, and expressed hope that the American public will accept his apology.

I accept PSY's apology. Did you read his statement? A beautiful expression of what the transformation of spirit is all about when a person embraces the strength and power of democratic privileges. If anything, PSY now becomes an advocate for responsible free speech. If we hold all people to static, ossified versions of their youth, how do we expect or react to growth? His response is a nuanced as mine: I might not like all of my country's policies and I am sometimes ashamed of actions conducted in our name, but I stand by unequivocally with our troops for their dedication, service, professionalism, and my hope for their safety so they can be returned to their loved ones whole. In democracy, we should demand more of ourselves than blind, lockstep, unquestioned obedience to patriotism... democracy calls on us to question and to participate, such that tyranny and injustice is not tolerated, not blind, neo-facist self-righteousness; at least, that is not the brand of democracy I care to live.

Living abroad, I see and hear and answer for all types of claims and accusations against America and Americans. There is much quiet diplomacy to be had to educate our friends abroad. That said, my fellow Americans often fail to educate themselves about our privileged status in the world and the obligation to be impeccable with our claims and words to not undermine our own legitimacy in the world and to protect our own integrity. PSY has my support.

Well after a few comments, I better inform the public that K-pop which means korean Pop Music is 100% supported by the south korean Government, including wages, shelter, food, and tour support. So given the fact that psy explicitily insulted our American Government and Soldiers, I feel that we should receive an apology not only from psy but from the president lee myung-bak himself as well!!!

please recall/re-read, the words for which he is apologizing is from when he participated in a song when he was 8. Hmmm, do we hold him accountable? Further, he has become a transcendent character of cultural exchange: let him grow into this role of diplomacy... let's take his words on faith as heartfelt and true. I think anyone who performs before our troops deserves our support and less second-guessing.

This is actually a reply to "AmericanAbroad" – actually the "eight years old performance" means that it was performed 8 years ago – not when Psy was 8 years old. That said – yeah – I've said things in the past that I've regretted too. It remains to be seen how Psy conducts himself in the future.

kpop is not fully 100% supported by the government. How can you post things online that arent even true? Its like saying that the US government should apologize for every american's irrational behavior because the government supports every citizen in at least some way (educatıon, health)

It's sad. American people do not know what really happened to the two 14year old school girls who ran by US military tank on their way to school. First korean government told the naive parents they will bring the justice. And then US court martial dropped the charges and let the soldiers go free without any punishments and completely ignored the case. They got acquitted. No korean journalists could report the incidents until the US soldiers went free, it spreaded little by little through internet and that fueled the protests among entire south Korea. Not because the girls just got killed. Psy is patriot. He's good man. You don't know the whole story. Us journalists they should write about the whole situation correctly. It is true. Sad.......

First off, don't trust a Korean with news facts. Koreans are brainwashed by their extremely own biased media (It's a few notches down from North Korean like censorship). I'm in Korea right now, I'm surprised how much the media is trying to bury and downplay this story. Psy is a national hero here, so they're keeping his recent falling with American fans under wraps. Let me tell everyone about the truth about those two girls. They were walking on a small narrow and winding road, not on a sidewalk because there was no side walk. Koreans are among the world's most easily distracted pedestrians – it's in their nature not mind to their surroundings when they walk. Smartphones and Kakao talk has made this problem even worse. These two girls were probably walking on the road lost in child's play when this truck came.

Yes, a military truck, not a tank, a truck struck them by accident. People die everyday in Seoul due to traffic accidents, people drive like crazy over here. I almost got hit by a bus in Gangnam. If I did, should all of a America get upset and puke out hate speech towards Korea? Those two US soldiers, were protecting your country Troy, and were later investigated and cleared by your own government. They even said it was an accident. Did America go crazy and attack Koreans when Seung-Hui Cho (Korean Immigrant) committed the worst school shooting in US History (Virgina Tech). Huh Troy??? I know it hurts that your fat horse riding poster boy is falling from his American KPOP tower. But if you spew hate speech at Americans, what do you expect?

Watch this racist Korean news story that angered several foreigners (Americans, Europeans, Africans, etc...) living in Korea. It will give you a glimpse into how PSY and Koreans formulate opinions about other countries and cultures. Look at the crappy journalism, snap judgements made about interracial dating. You can only imagine the field day Koreans had when the two American soldiers ran over those two Korean girls by accident.

This is MBC News which is equivalent to ABC, CBS, BBC, and NBC in the US and UK- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B09FXOZVw4g

It's sad. American people do not know what really happened to the two 14year old school girls who ran by US military tank on their way to school. First korean government told the naive parents they will bring the justice. And then US court martial dropped the charges and let the soldiers go free without any punishments. They got acquitted. No korean journalists could report the incidents until the US soldiers went free, it spreaded little by little through internet and that fueled the protests among entire south Korea. Not because the girls just got killed. Psy is patriot. He's good man. You don't know the whole story. Us journalists they should write about the whole situation correctly. It is true. Sad.......

Which is kinda odd, really. A true Republican should be saying, "If its his bible, its his free choice to burn his bible, as long as he doesn't burn my bible or blow the smoke from his own bible onto my territory". Freedom above all else. I am a protestant and hit church at Xmas and Easter and IDGAF if he burns the bible, the quran or whatever the Hindi use. Its just a book and not exactly rare.

It is one thing to be anti – war, and another to call for the slow painful deaths of American soldiers AND their families. Sickening. As for the two 14 year old Korean girls. .... the tanks were coming back from a training mission, and the tank tried to move over for another convoy. The girls were walking on a path next to the road. It was a tragic accident. However, because they were Americans- the Korean people called for their deaths. The government issued multiple apologies, and the men were tried for negligent homicide. Sad situation, but the US has protected South Korea for years and gave many lives in the process.

It's interesting to watch what is unfolding in the middle east. Saddam was a brutal psychopath who murdered his way to the top and then stayed there by constructing a sadistic hierarchy whose brutality knew no bounds. When he gassed the Kurds he displayed to the world just how twisted and evil he really was. You can say what you like about George Bush but I think the world is better off without Saddam and Iraq is a more stable, just, and dare I say rational country. Getting back to my opening statements I think what is occuring in the middle east is directly attributable to the actions of the Bush admiistration and all it's shortcomings and believe me there were many. His tax cuts for the rich and the deregulation of Wall Street almost caused another great depression. But America is resilient and will no doubt rebound as it did from past financial crisis. I won't be around to see it but I'd lay money on the bet that the middle east will be a democratic zone similar to Europe in fifty years time.

Yeah agreed Hugh. Its hard to take a country from middleage dictatorship into the modern world, when its surrounded by other dictatorstates and has never known another way, not to mention that its full of well-armed terrorists. I remember feeling tricked into support Iraq invasion after it happened and no WOMD were found, but I whole hearted supported going in there before that, cause what-if. Thats why I still support both Afgh/Iraq, "cause hindsight is always 2020".

Hugh...are you a moron? This about a freaking commie south korean who want to kill our US troops and kill them slowly and painfully and thier families...get over talking about Bush you idiot...ban PSY and Gangnam Style!!!

May I remind you that it was the U.S. and the West who financed, supported, and armed Saddam (this because he was an enemy of our enemy: Iran)? There are nice photographs with a smiling Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam. So don't give me the democracy crxp.

I bet a million dollars all these people calling Psy a commie piece of sh!t and think that Obama truly is now the anti-Christ are the same people who claim to be good Christians. Even people complaining about how everything can be okay as long as you repent in America....well, yeah! If Psy is truly sorry for what he said and has repented for it (which he has at least apologized to the people he offended) then I forgive him like Christ told me to do.

Let see...what will be happened to him if he did that to China, Russia, or other countries? Will these countries invite him to their countries to perform? Or he will be invited directly to re-education camp "Jail"? Welcome to America, man!

U can get away with anything against "Americans" as long as U repent. Look at Hanoi Jane! We are a too-forgiving people. But it has to do with MONEY not real repent stuff from the heart, which makes us the shallowest people in the world.

So this guy said/sang something in the heat of an unfortunate event – We do the same thing – someone says or does something minor (like this) and WE go insane – Koreans were angry after the death of a couple of children – accident or not, we should be able to understand anger form sorrow...... This guy eventually realized his anger at everyone in the US was misplaced and he apologized –

Which is more ridiculous.... Being angry after a couple of deaths, or being angry at someone who said something BECAUSE of a couple of deaths... I don't get it – Maybe there is something in our water that makes so many of us childish little egotists

it is obvious that the only hate filled person here is you sir.
if you don't know the meaning of forgiveness or if you never made a mistake in your life, you shouldn't expect everyone else to be like you are.

People like you are a big reason I will never vote Republican. You really think the President of the US hates America? Is it because he spent so much time raising money for needy causes before becoming President or was it because he wanted to make health care affordable for all Americans that makes you think he hates America?

Perhaps it was the "Apology World Tour 2009", or maybe his fund raising for Acorn, or making working Americans pay for 7% of the populations 'free" heath care, or maybe forcing Christians to forgo their belief system to pay for contraception for promiscuous employees, or telling the Russians he will be more "flexible" after the election, or borrowing money from China to give to campaign donors like Solyndra.....the list goes on and on.

I guess the young some young Koreans won't thank my late Brother for fighting in Korea
better to say we are awful Americans in Iraq. A sad day for President Obama to shake his
hand at this time. I guess it has to do more with Samsung then with common sense.

Sure, do some stupid things and then apologize. Doesn't matter if he did any thinking before he wrote or sang the songs. No responsibility for his actions. Cat Stevens, can't even get what this Bozo has done. Bet Obama would invite Hanoi Jane to the White House.

you have no idea. and so people like you parade your ignorance as if it were wisdom.
patience, tolerance, leading by example, honor, forgiveness, looking past pettiness, being able to discuss wrongs things and make them right, progress, compassion...

or does it strike you that all people in prisons should be condemned to suffering and have no way of salvation nor should their repentance ever be accepted?

No respect for the US? I think Obama deeply respects the US. I think he has devoted his life to the cause of the US and it's people. I think Obama was elected for the second time in a row by the majority of US citizens.

Maybe you should have a little respect for the President of the US. You clearly have none.

Couldn't agree with you more. This isn't the first time musicians protested a cause (remember Viatnam.) So many self- righteous people out there. As though we are any better then they are. Freedom of speach isn't reserved just for Americans. What is ironic is we keep preaching this the world over.

Yet when something comes back we don't like we can't accept it. Then you wonder why no one respects us lol. If some muslim which preached anti- Americanism then over the years changed for whatever reason. Would you still preach this grabage and throw it in his face? Well guess what, i have a muslim friend who was like that.

He loves america now and feels bad about the things he said in the past. It took the efforts of many people but in the end came out better. He had said the media always painted a bad picture and was working for the government in many cases. If people can't change then diplomacy is a waste of time. I am not the same person i was in highschool.

I would imagine most people aren't either providing they learned anything. We talk about other countries being closed minded and out of touch and then we do exactly the same thing. We americans need to grow up and start acting like responsible members of the world community. Respect is earned not given so start acting like it!!

Wow Nationalism seems to run quit high in america as well doesn't it. No wonder no one respect us anymore lol. Not to mention PSY was only supporting what many the world over saw as an illegal war. This was bush's crusade in the search for weapons of mass destruction which never existed. You are either with us or against us lol. What a line of crap as who are we to judge when we keep funding these insurgent groups which end up being our enemies later on. Two Korean school girls were killed by a tank and a Korean missionary was kidnapped and behead by Al Qaeda at the time.

This is what brought this one and not PSY. We Americans should be ashamed by our crass and overactive behavior. Not everyone shares our false since of honor and our idealistic view of the world. I don't give a crap what we say we have done for others. Why don't we for once try to see things from someone else's point of view for once. I choose to not be just another ugly American. Get out in the world a bit and maybe some of you will see that as well. This is why is is no hope for the world when everyone let's their feelings cloud their better judgement.

Just please, PLEASE, stop giving this guy his 15 minutes of fame. I saw a kid in the mall singing and dancing like this jackhole, and I wanted to bang my head against the wall. It's not funny, or even remotely cute anymore people.

Here is one of my favorite songs: "I like big nutz and I cannot lie..da other dudes will deny. I gotta have dat hairy sak, rubbin it aint be wack!! You know I wanna get with him...schlob dat knobb – lickin da rim!! The others all know we gaaaay...when its time for us to plaaaay...big nutz!! Big nutz!!"

i was watching the marathon for awhile and i noticed blogs came up at the bottom of the screen....did anyone have that problem. i had to make a call...it was too weird....then i got dressed and undressed again.

All works out as fair I guess. Koreans are so damn ugly even other Asians call them "the ugly Asians." And did you see that Chinese husband that just sued his wife for getting $100,000 of cosmetic surgery before they met so he unknowingly married an ugly women and had an ugly baby. Well she got all her cosmetic surgery in S. Korea. because they're experts in making the ugly look better in that country – experts at it!!! Damn Psy... I guess I'm funny too (so funny and it's true). Hope you didn't scare the dogs in DC with that ugly fat moon face of yours.

I be a fairy and I be a fruit…I take it in da rear which makes me poot! I pak dat fudge and shlurp da knobs…I polish it up, from rick, steve and bob! I rock dat dude and play with his tool…and when I’m done I clean up my drool! I’m a chubby dude still livin at home…but nightly I pick up guys and polish their chrome!!!

Hey boy toyz! Give me your digits and I will give u a ring. We can hook up and I will make it a fling. I will rock dat coq and play with your sack..when u spray all dat goo I won’t give u any flack! I slurp it all down and make your head spin…I guzzle that salty stuff with a grin!! Fill me up…Solo cup!!

I think there is a difference between an anti-war sentiment and a sadistic wish for soldier's families to die slow and painful deaths. Even if he didn't write the words, he rapped them in a public place where it came back to bite him in the ass. Whether or not you think it was okay, I predict this will likely hurt his career here in the US.

I like da gaayyy men and I luv to share....we pound each other silly and do stuff on a dare! We all like to roll a big ol train...we pound dat hole till der lots of pain! Da dudes with the super-sized meaty rod.....they iz da ones with the killa bod! Now dats my story and u all know...when the party gets goin the guys start to blow....da dongers be floppin and flyin around....cuz we be fairies and you'll hear a gruntin sound! Boyeeee!!

I wanna jig-abooo with a big ol tool. I see that size and it makes me drool! I grab ahold and ram it into my rear…he slams my fat rump and it brings out a tear! Now I be sore but its all good…cuz I be a flamer and keep searchin da hood!!!

What, a non-American speaking out on US tactics that devastate other countries all for setting up new governments and leaders we can exploit? This may shock you, but not everyone in the world likes us, omg I know! Look at US, right after 9/11 people started killing anyone with dark skin and accents, even though the majority were Sikh, Hindu, or Indian. And Americans are still killing our own countrymen over their looks and religions. Our hypocrisies are great, but we could still become the shining beacon of tolerance and understanding we perceive ourselves to be in our minds

Psy did not write these lyrics, only rapped another bands music during a protest where
innocent Korean little girls got killed by US military stationed in Korea and the start of the
Iraq war, where another Korean missionary got beheaded there.
This was 10 years ago. Americans are no different than the Talibans where free
speech is mocked & no tolerance of forgiveness. He apologized like a man and made no excuses.
He acknowledges his mistake for the past. He didn’t asked to come to America and become famous.
I guess Americans are the most perfect people in this world.
For those not in the military, would you take up arms and be ready to fight in a war
that your country is asking you for? Let's see how strongly you believe in your duty as an American.
He was very patriotic to his country. Yes, now he realizes his choice of words and he asks for forgiveness.
Move on people.

It was 8 years ago you commie...if you dont like AMERICA, go back to the phillipines or S. Korea or Vietnam, doesnt matter if that pig PSY wrote it or not, he sung about killing US AMerican troops and their families...He can go to Hello Operator and you can follow Psy to Hello operator! You filthy pig....your Korean men killied as much if not more in your wars, you hypocrit!!!

As much as I enjoy watching Santa doing that gangham dance,( by the way, brings that expression "shakes like a bowl full of jelly" to a new extreme), I just don't see that Psy at a Christmas performance. He just seems like a very odd choice to perform.

What a shame that Mr President even shaked his hand. I dont think he care what American think because he surely secure his second term. It could be a diffirent tune if this scandal happen 2 months ago before the election.

I'm sure the President had nothing to do with who the entertainers would be at this years event. I think he has more important things to concentrate on than planning some musical event, don't you think?